Peanut Butter Quinoa Granola

It’s the last day to vote for Pies and Plots in The Kitchn’s Best Sweets and Baking Blogs contest.Thank you so much for your continued support!I would really appreciate if you would vote for me if you haven’t already.Though it seems impossible for me to win at this point, with your help, anything is possible!Dream big!

One of the coolest things about being a food blogger is that sometimes I get boxes of goodies sent to me.I mean we all love when the UPS guy delivers a package, but it’s even better when you didn’t have to pay for it.

Though any box gets me jumping for joy, I am always especially happy when one from Bob’s Red Mill comes.I love Bob’s!I’m constantly ordering products from their website and picking up even more from the grocery store.

I order Bob’s Gluten Free Rolled Oats literally by the case.One of the reasons I love Bob’s, other than the crazy high quality of their products, is their customer service.One case of oats I ordered was full of hulls.One quick phone call later and they shipped a new case to me, though I still used the one with all the hulls – I couldn’t bear to throw it away.

I also love their quick oats, nut flours, corn flour, oat flour, chickpeas, carob powder, different kinds of coconut, and more. I need to buy stock in Bob’s Red Mill.Wait, do they even have stock?

I also love their quinoa.The new Tri-Color Quinoa was included in my box.I barely had the box open before I headed to the kitchen to try this new quinoa!One of the best things about Bob’s quinoa is that it comes pre-rinsed.I love that I don’t have to go through that time consuming step.The Tri-Color Quinoa is even better than the traditional because I found it to be a little sweeter.

While I have made plenty of quinoa salads loaded with avocado, onion, parsley, cilantro, and vinaigrette, my favorite way to use it is in granola.Granola always gets my morning off to a great start, especially this Peanut Butter Quinoa Granola.The quinoa and nuts give a lot of crunchy texture, while the creamy peanut butter adds flavor and makes sure there are more than enough clumps to fight over!The peanut flavor isn’t super intense, so if you would like to amp it up, increase the peanut butter by ¼ cup or swap some of the nuts for peanuts. This is a healthy and gluten free breakfast treat, so long as you use gluten free oats. Just add some milk and a little fresh fruit and breakfast is served!

Disclaimer: I was provided with product samples by Bob’s Red Mill, but all opinions, as always, are mine.

In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, hazelnuts, coconut, quinoa, cinnamon, and ginger until fully combined.

Add honey, oil, vanilla, and peanut butter, and stir until fully combined and distributed. There should be no clumps of peanut butter. Spread mixture into an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until fragrant and golden brown. If your oven runs hot, check it at 15 minutes.

Remove it from the oven and sprinkle with blueberries and currants. Do not stir the granola at any time – this will ensure it is extra clumpy. Cool completely on the pan. Once cool, break into clumps and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.